A Christmas Anniversary card.

A good friend of mine asked me to make her daughter and son in law an anniversary card, their anniversary is today (23rd December) and she wanted it with a Christmas theme. A difficult one to get my head around.

I used my cuttlebug and nesties to cut the centre, stamped, coloured and cut lots of holly leaves, then glittered the berries and stuck them on with silicone glue so they stood proud. I used a good old faithful stamp for the couple and stamped her dress on some red paper, stamped over with smaller holly leaves. I used the waste from the centre and overstamped with the smaller holly leaves to mount the couple on. This was placed on the second page of the card. I added a red ribbon down the side as well but this was scanned before I finished the card off....ooops. A congratulations message was printed onto the third page.

I also made a box which I didn't scan with the same theme on the front and a couple of gold bells which usually go on my front door wreath!!!!!!!

I only made a quick scan of this to see if they liked it, and forgot to scan again when finished so not the best quality

Birthday card

I haven't been doing much crafting recently because we have been having an new kitchen fitted, the house has been totally upside down and I have been 'camping' in the lounge for most of the time. Thankfully we are on the home run, with the builder coming back to do the finishing touches next week, then the whole house will need a 'Christmas' clean up from top to bottom!!!!

I did make this card earlier in the month for a forum friend's birthday, and remembered to scan it before I sent it off.

Diamond Wedding Anniversary

I found out yesterday that my friend's parents recently celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary....Wow, that's quite something isn't it. I feel really bad that I didn't know so have made a card to congratulate them. I met my friend at Guides and then we went to youth club together when we were just young 'gals' (ha ha) and they used to have people round for Sunday tea, when they did they always asked me along too, guess I became an 'extra' member of the family, bless them. Seems like only yesterday!!!!!!

New baby card

Some of my friends are expecting their first baby next month, they are monitoring her closely at the moment and we wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't have him early, so thought I should get prepared and have a card ready (let's hope the hospital haven't made a mistake and it will be a boy.

These have been uploaded in the wrong order, the bottom picture is the front! I just need to make a matching box to pop it in now. I cut the oval with my nesties on my cuttlebug, and used some sparkling paints to add the colours.

Hangy things!

I'd totally forgotten I had made these hanging things, they were on a hook behind my craft room door, so thought I'd blog them too.

The little bird one was made from the Stitchles stamp that was free with the Craft Stamper the other month, such a cute little birdie.

The other two were inspired by watching a programme on Ideal World when the presenter used her own stamps which were a selection of fruit. Alas I don't have them but used her ideas to make these, although what the heck I do with them now I have no idea, ha ha ha.

Another anniversary card

I managed to make another card today before my visitor arrived....the lady I made the birthday card for who I used to work for. We had a great couple of hours and lots to chat about.

My friend's anniversary is in a couple of days so thought I'd better get her card done.

It's those girls again

This is a birthday card I made for the lady I used to work for when I lived in Norfolk. I did the background much the same way as the previous card by inking the background with various distress inks and heat embossing the swirls.

I added ink and gold embossing powder to the flower too

It's been a while since I added anything!!!!

My inspiration seems to have been lacking recently, and with the lovely late summer sunshine I just don't seem to have done very much crafting.

Well things had to change as I have quite a few birthdays and anniversaries to make cards for this month.

I made this yesterday to send to my nephew and his wife for their 4th anniversary.

I used Tim's distress inks to colour the background sheet and heat embossed the swirls with brown and gold embossing powder.

The image is from a set of stamps I bought recently but can't remember what make they are.

Now I just need to crack on and get the other cards made.

Thank you for looking.

Dog school Fun Day and BBQ

I thought you might all like a giggle....yesterday we took the two dogs to the dog school fun day, it was like being back at school, doing relay races, egg and spoon and all sorts of silly things with the dogs!!!!!

Just for fun I took Chester our Lab in the ring for Best Dog and he came third, winning a toy, and receiving a certificate and yellow rosette.

Then for a laugh we entered the Fancy Dress, now bearing in mind I didn't even consider this till the evening before and we had to be there by 10.30 all I could think of was to put poor Chester into Nei'ls sleeveless cricket jumper and for me to dress up in the cricket trousers and top. We both had white hats and I carried the cricket bat. We did come second, Chester getting another certificate and rosette and a new ball....me I got NOTHING but it did make everyone laugh as I was the only silly owner to dress up too!!!!!!!!!!! The winner of the fancy dress looked very smart in something very grand, bought from the intertnet, so we didn't really stand a chance of coming first against that!!!!!

We had just a brilliant day, the dogs were both very tired at the end of it, as too were Neil and myself. The bbq was very tasty too, and we were certainly ready for something to eat after playing all those games.

Another anniversary card

Why is it that some days or even weeks we struggle with our creative side? That's me at the moment, and it is my neighbours wedding anniversary tomorrow. This is at least my second effort at making them a card. I have an idea in my head, but it just doesn't seem to translate to the card!!!!!!!!!

Oh well as time is catching up with me this will have to do. Guess it's the thought that counts and actually remembering their special day.

I used a Stamping Up stamp and metal flower.

Card for a poorly friend.

A friend has just had a big op and I can't get to see her, so have made this card to pop in the post and hope it cheers her up a little.

Have had this stamp for a long time, it's good to dig the old ones out sometimes and use them.
I used some versafine ink pads (those little square ones, and I have had them for quite a while too) in sage old rose and violet and added a bow using green and purple ribbon.

Wedding gift

I should have posted this with the wedding card last week!

The couple had put on the invitation that they did not want any gifts, but you feel bad if you don't take anything along for them don't you?

Well I remembered on the day we were going that I had bought a K & Co kit ages ago, so had a rummage round and found a brag book to make up.

I thought it might be nice for the bride to put some of her pictures in it, keep it in her handbag so that she would have some pictures on hand to show people!!!!!

I also made a box to put it in(to match the card and invitation...just to carry on the theme).

I hope she liked it.

(after scanning it, I also added a sliver heart charm too)

Another Wedding

We have been invited to the Wedding receiption of an Indian couple.

This is their invitiation

And to keep the theme going.....

This is the card I have made them.

(I also made an acceptence card to match too!!)

Tag card

I originally made a tag for a swap, but didn't send it off, and it is inspired by something in Craft Stamper the other month. The stamp I have had for years and seldom used, so was pleased to find a little project to use it on. The swirly background to the tag is also one of the free stamps with Craft Stamper, probably a couple of years ago.

I'm not too sure about the random inking on the main card. I think it looks a bit 'folky'!!!! I am sending it a friend who lives in just the cutest little cottage so think it will look good on top of her inglenook fireplace.

Been AWOL

I don't seem to have done very much in the way of crafty things recently apart from one or two 'ordinary' cards. Not too sure why apart from having lots of flare ups with my RA, however after a course of steriods things seem to have settled down a bit now so hopefully my inspiration will return and I will soon be cracking on with a few bits and bobs.

Get well soon

My friend's Mum is in hospital, and these days you can't take flowers in to cheer the ward, so I have made this hanging hearts with flowers and butterfly to hang on her bed. I hope it cheers her up a little bit.

Thank you

A good crafting friend of mine sent me a RAK which arrived in the post yesterday....a huge envelope full of crafting bits and bobs. I had such fun opening it and going through all the goodies inside, it was like having a birthday!!!!!!!

I decided it warrented a 'thank you' card, so I used some of the bits she sent to make the card, together with two flowery flourishes I bought recently which I inked in green and orange (Tim Holtz distress inks) then used the orange ink pad to colour round the edges to tie it all together. I added some gold paper to mount the image on.

My son's cake

It was my baby's birthday last month (he was 30!!) as he is still single I thought I should make him a cake....not brilliant at 'special' cakes so looked through a cutting I had years ago (from which I made my grand daughter's cat cake) and came up with an elephant!!! I was meant to use one of those posh fan wafers you have with ice cream for the ear but as I only needed one I made an ear out from concertina-ing some gold coloured paper.

Ok not brilliant, but the thought was there ha ha ha

Cute Card

I've been a bit naughty here, but I recently took part in a 'card swap' where you made three cards to swap. I received some wonderful cards back which are a true inspiration to wake up my own creativity, and I have used the idea from one card to make one of my own. It's not quite as good as the one I received, but it is something quite different for me to make.

Lady's cards

I used some Penny Black stamps to do these cards, it's such a cute image and the wording is nice too.

Men's cards

Well what a month June is for cards, lots of birthdays and anniversaries both family, friends and forum friends, so as Saturday was a washout because of the weather it was a good excuse to tuck myself in my little room and get crafting.

I bought this Clarity stamp at the Farnborough Craft Show in January (or was it February this year?) and it has recently been demonstrated on Ideal World, so I decided to try it for the Men's cards I needed for this month.

I used my brayer to do the background, a mask to do the moon, another stamp with black ink for the foliage, and inked and brayered the fisherman, then rolled the brayer onto the background to get the image, and used the actual stamp to do the reflection. I feel quite chuffed with myself that the brayering was actually successful.

(I used a gloss card to brayer and found it worked so much better that ordinary card which I haven't had much success with on previous attempts)

I heat embossed some foliage and Happy Birthday in black ink on the main card just to finish it off

The bride

Last week we went along to my Sister in Law's wedding. We had a great time, and the sun shone all day on the happy couple. The venue was formerly a farm, and the meal was served in the pig stys!!!!! (all clean of course) which was great fun, then there was barn dancing..... in the barn of all places, ha ha ha. Of course we had to join in but boy I did suffer the next day with a few aches and pains from bits of me that haven't been skipping etc for quite a little while.

Anyway I thought you might like to see a couple of pics of the bride....the colour scheme of sage green was very subtle, and the 'flowers' were made from hessian leaves, sage green and white feathers and some jewels on wires threaded through, very unusual and very pretty.

Pinks, blues and greens

I made this card for my OH's neice's wedding anniversary.

The colour was added by blending chalks over the main card and the matt, I stamped the swirls in stayzon, used that very useful flower stamp that came on the Craft Stamper magazine ages ago and used pearly doodles to add some dots round the swirls.

The best time

Spring is just the best time of year in my garden as it is a wooded garden with Pine trees and
rhododendrons we don't have flower beds and if I do try to grow things in tubs either Chester (my Labrador) or the Squirrels dig them up so we have to make the most of the short time the rhododendrons are in bloom. It's such a pretty, fresh time of the year.

I had some time to play

I managed to find some time to play and made these three cards to have as 'stand by' I don't often do that and make cards as I need them, so hopefully these will help me out when I have one of those senior moments and forget someone's birthday!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh no.....Another one!

Yes another Daisy and Dandilion card, this time for a friend who just loves tinkering about with DIY. He even made a cement mixer from a washing machine drum once!!!!!!!

This is basically the same as I made for my son, but mounted on white card and 'it's your birthday' stamped round the edge. I have also stamped the rabbit image on the insert as well.

Awards

Ahh bless her, my friend Shaz has left these awards for me on her blog, how kind is that, I am very flattered, thank you so much Shaz xxxxxxxxxxxxx

My baby's birthday card

Today is my baby's birthday, he is 30!!!!!!! Oh gosh does that make me feel old.

He and a friend bought a house between them and have been putting in new bathrooms and kitchen as well as lots of other jobs inside and in the garden, so when I saw the new sets from Daisy and Dandilion I couldn't resist as so apt for the DIY addict.

Also seems I have become a little bit hooked on these stamps at the moment ha ha ha.

I will be meeting him later to take him out to eat, and I have made him a birthday cake....similar to the cat I made for my grand daughter but an ELEPHANT this time. Once the batteries are charged for my camera I will try to get a photo of it.

Gone fishing

It's my friend's husband's birthday at the weekend (in fact I have several birthdays to make cards for this weekend) and I recently bought some of the new stamps in the Daisy and Dandilion range so thought this might make a suitable card for him. I stamped the image three times and decoupaged him, although that doesn't really show up in the scanned picture.

I used a selection of ink pads, mostly the TH distressed ones and a paintbrush to colour him.

He is rather cute isn't he?

(the card is not mounted on pink, I decided to put something behind the card to see if it scanned any better than against a white background!!)

Wedding day card

My sister in law is getting married next month so I have made her a card, I wanted to keep it simple. I bought some 12 x 12 papers from papermainia, one paper one velum which matched, overlaid the velum, used one of their new peeloffs (not a fan of them but it worked in this case) on the card so it showed through the velum. I cut an oval from my nestabilities edged it in gold ink and used a rub on and pearl hearts to decorate, together with an ivory ribbon. I have made a box in similar paper and ribbon for it to go into. I hope she will like it.

A friend has asked me to make a 21st birthday card for her, I have made this card, but not sure if it is what she wants. I thought I would blog it anyway, I can always remove the 21 and use it for someone else.

We were out to lunch with friends at the weekend, they have a mummy duck nesting under a bush in their garden, so to say thank you for such a lovely day I have made this card to send them.

Bookmark, ATC, Tag and Fat book page

One of the forums I go onto is having it's second birthday in May, so we are holding a competiton, to enter you had to make a Bookmark, ATC, Tag and Fat book page. I decided to follow the theme through on each of them. I hadn't really intended to use these colours, but I think they work ok.

My youngest son wanted a card for his niece's birthday....this is what I made for him to give her, and yes it is those new papermania stamps again. I masked the sitting dog and stamped the other one over the top so he look like he is laying behind the other one.

Gardening

We spent some time at the weekend cutting back some of the bushes in our garden, with the help of my youngest son, this is just some of the rubbish I now have to cut up and get to the dump (there are three further piles like this to plough through sometime too)

Birthday cake

It is my youngest granddaughter's 4th birthday this weekend, so I decided to make her a surprise birthday cake.